


A Twist In Time Saves You And I

by WhereTheWildOnesGo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cliche, Creature Harry Potter, Creature Inheritance, Dark Harry, Dom Tom Riddle, F/M, M/M, My First AO3 Post, Romantic Soulmates, Sub Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2020-12-23 16:15:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21084176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhereTheWildOnesGo/pseuds/WhereTheWildOnesGo
Summary: Harry has always felt as if something was missing. When the battle is over, that feeling only gets worse. Harry learns the truth, and realises that he can't trust anyone around him. He hits rock bottom, and at the last moment, he hears a mysterious voice. The voice gives him instructions, and sends Harry back to first year. Harry has one goal: Fix his destiny. And maybe get some revenge on the ones who have wronged him. Hopefully he and his soulmate can finally be happy together.





	1. The Trigger

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, and welcome to my first fic on Archive! I wasn't planning to write this, but all of a sudden I just felt this uncontrollable urge to write some overly cliché fanfiction. I hope you enjoy. Updates will be irregular.

Bottles of firewhiskey in various states of emptiness were perched on every surface in the blackened room. Sunlight was shut out by thick curtains covered in a layer of dust. Old newspapers, scattered between the bottles, announced breaking news stories from the last eight months. Each headline was more dramatic than the next, but together they painted a rather one-sided story of the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts.

**‘Dark Lord defeated in epic duel against The Boy-Who-Lived’** pronounced the oldest newspaper in the dark room. This paper boasted a ten-page special on the heroes of the Light. Besides being the oldest, this paper was also the most significant. This newspaper marked the day that everything in the wizarding world changed, and it marked the beginning of the eight-month down spiral of The-Boy-Who-Lived.****  
****  
Harry James Potter has always felt like he was alone. All his life he knew that there was something missing. Something he had lost, but had never had. He would anger his ‘family’ whenever he’d try to interact with them, and his unnatural questions angered them even more. Eventually he grew smart and learnt that the less he engaged, the less he would be punished.  
__  
_Six-year-old Harry wandered barefoot down the passage, small fists holding up his oversized trousers. A feeling had been bothering him for a while now. A constant feeling as if he had lost something had plagued his young mind to the point where he couldn’t stand it anymore. He walked slowly into the disgustingly frilly kitchen. Spying his aunt, he gathered his courage._

** **** **

_“Aunt Petunia… can I ask you something please?” his voice was tiny and as polite as possible. His aunt didn’t even turn to look at him, too busy peeking at the neighbours._

_“What do you want Boy. Can’t you see that I’m busy.”_

_“Aunt Petunia, somethings wrong. I think somethings wrong in my head, something very important is missing.” Replied the timid boy. He was innocent back then. At the time he did not understand what his question sounded like. His aunt turned to look at him. He noticed that she had a look of fear on her horse-like face. Before she could answer, his uncle’s booming voice sounded from behind him._

_“Ha! Maybe you aren’t useless after all. See darling, the Freak knows that he’s got a screw loose. Not like our Dudders.” the fat man proudly said as he walked past Harry to stand with his wife. “He’s a prodigy our boy. A total chip off the old block.” The vile man paused. _

_“And you,” he leaned close to Harry’s small frame and grabbed the front of his much too big shirt, “you know the rules you Freak. You don’t address anyone in this house without being spoken to first. And you know what happens when the rules are broken.”  
Petunia watched at her husband threatened the small boy._

_“Punish him. Vernon. The boy needs to learn to respect his betters.”_

_Anyone who would have cared to look into Harry’s eyes would have seen pain and fear. But most importantly, they would have seen all-consuming, crippling loneliness. After the beating he got that day, Harry vowed to himself to stay as far away from his relatives as possible.___  
__  
As wise as his decision had been, it also meant that he would be much lonelier than before. He still cleaned and cooked and took the brutal beating, but it was way less than it could have been if he had continued trying to bond with them and ask them questions. 

The next year Harry started primary school. He almost thought that he would finally make friends and be accepted. His hopes were dashed when his cousin Dudley managed to turn the whole class (including the teacher) against him, using tails of his freakish behaviour at home.  
That night, lying in his cupboard, Harry asked the universe for the first time: Is this life? If it is, is it really worth it.  
The start of his first year at Hogwarts brought new opportunities to make friends and to quench his loneliness. It was a place far from the reach of the Dursleys and Dudley’s horrible friends. Ron and Hermione were, in Harry’s naïve eyes, the best things that have ever happened to him. 

_ _In his seven year, supported by his ‘allies’, he took down Voldemort and his Death Eaters with few casualties. As soon as the Dark Lord fell, Ginny had thrown herself into his arms and the Light had cheered at their victory. Harry could not cheer. He felt... empty. Emptier than he had ever felt. Sadness that he couldn’t understand surged through every nerve in his battered body. The war was won, but why was he not happy?_ _

_ _The answer, although he wouldn’t get it for a while, was simple. He could not be happy. Not without his soulmate, who he had just killed on the fields of battle in the name of the people who had used him his whole life._ _

_ _***_ _

_ _All of this led to today. Eight months after the Final Battle. Harry groaned as he woke up. A blistering headache will pain him for the rest of the day if he didn’t find some pain relief potion, just like every day before. He reached one hand out to blindly grasp at his glasses on his bedside table. His other hand came up to scratch his stubble.  
Harry frowned. He could have sworn he shaved yesterday. Or maybe it was last week. He couldn’t find it in himself to care. Lately he had been struggling to keep up with time. Finding his wand on the floor next to his bed, he summoned a pain relief potion. Downing much more than the recommended dose, he closed his eyes and waited for the pain to disappear._ _

_ _It didn’t take long for the pain to reach the point where it was bearable. Harry hauled himself up and began to wade throw old newspapers and empty bottles to get to the dusty kitchen. _ _

_ _For the last eight months, he had been locking himself up in a deserted Grimmauld Place. He had inherited in after he had come of age, being Sirius’ named heir. He had dismissed Kreacher as soon as he moved in, and he had altered the wards to allow only him in and out.  
He had been dragged out to attend a few Weasley get togethers, during which everyone forced Ginny on him. He was beginning to think that maybe he should just marry her to get them to leave him alone._ _

He opened the fridge to find a few old eggs and some stale cheese. Sighing to himself, he closed the door. No food meant that he had to venture out again.  
Putting on some okay looking clothes he grabbed his invisibility cloak and reluctantly left his sanctuary. Emotionless, he took in his surroundings. The sun was bright and there were few people out. Grimmauld Place was situated in only of the many twisting side streets of London, so the shop he frequented, although small, was always full of people.  
Slowly, Harry dragged his feet under the invisibility cloak until he was standing around the corner from the shop. Hearing familiar voices, he froze. He swore under his breath. Shit! What the hell are they doing here. 

Hermione, Ron and Ginny strutted down the street behind him as if they owned the place. Harry pressed his invisible form against a nearby wall. If they ran into something that they couldn’t see, they would know immediately that it was him. Then they would try and drag him to another family gathering. He shuddered. He loved his friends, but they just didn’t understand. He wasn’t ready to recover yet, if he ever would be that is. 

As they neared him, he started to hear what they were talking about. They stopped nearby for Hermione to dig around in her bag.  
“How long has it been since he left that dusty hovel?” Ginny asked curiously. 

_ _“Well,” Hermione answered, “I haven’t seen him in nearly two months. I still can’t believe that we actually managed to turn soulmates on each other, and have one actually kill the other. I almost want to write a research paper on it.” Everyone laughed._ _

_ _“Obviously we can’t expect him to recover. Honestly Ginny, the sooner you find a love potion that works with the obedience altering blocks the better. Its not going to be long before the dolt goes and offs himself.” complained Ron._ _

_ _“Oh, come on Ron. Don’t you want to parade him around in front of the press for a bit? Think of all the interviews. And all the fame!” countered Ginny in a dreamy tone. Hermione found what she was searching for and the trio made their way into the shop._ _

_ _Harry stood frozen underneath his cloak. He couldn’t believe it. His friends… weren’t his friends? Harry felt his thoughts became overwhelmed with all-consuming sadness. He had never lost his loneliness. He had always been alone. Who knows what they have done to him?  
He had a soulmate. His soulmate was The Dark Lord. He had killed his soulmate. Harry started to shake uncontrollably. His thoughts ran in circles and his heart beat frantically in his chest. His world closed in on him. He had no one, and he had never had anyone. He stumbled into an alley and collapsed against a wall. Sliding down, tears started pouring down his face. _ _

_ _Choked sobs filled the alley. Harry didn’t know how long he sat there just crying his bruised heart out. Without a question his mind was made up. Shakily his hand brought his beloved wand up to his temple. The same wand which took his soulmate’s life will now take his. He almost laughed at the irony. _ _

_ _ _“I’m coming to you my other half. I’m so sorry.”___ _ _

_ _ _The last thing he saw was a familiar flash of green light, before everything faded to black. Finally, The Boy-Who-Lived was dead._ _ _


	2. The Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I would be back so soon, but here we are. some of you guys might have noticed the randomly bolded paragraph in the last chapter. I have no idea if that's going to happen again sooo. I'm still learning how these controls work, so please cut me a bit of slack. Enjoy!

_“Hello Harry. It’s good to finally meet you.”_

Harry gasped for air. What the hell? The last thing he remembered was… The alley. He had had a panic attack of some kind and taken his own life to be with his soulmate.

Harry tried to open his eyes, only to find that he couldn’t move his body. He felt as if he was floating in a massive body of water. He started to hyperventilate as he tried to force his body to obey him. Oddly enough, he felt no water enter his lungs. Where was he? Was this death? If it was then that meant he would never be with his soulmate. His body remained stationary in the water(?), but inside he was screaming in frustration. Clearly, he was not meant to be happy, not even in death. _“_

_Hush child. This is not death. That will not come for you quite yet. It wasn’t your time before, and it isn’t your time now. You can still find happiness.”_ came the mysterious voice again.

In his panic, Harry had forgotten about the voice. So, he wasn’t dead. Yay? Harry wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be happy about that.

“_You must listen to me Harry. We will not have much time. I can only keep you in this state for a while before it starts affecting your mind. Your life has not played out according to your destiny. You were meant for great things Harry, but thanks to manipulating mortals trying to play god, you accomplished nothing which you were supposed to. This will affect the course of history dramatically, and give more power to the people who used you. I am here to offer you a choice.”_ The voice was starting to sound urgent now.

Harry had so many questions, and was getting increasingly frustrated with his inability to respond.

_“I can hear your thoughts Harry. Just think and I will answer you. Let me finish explaining before we run out of time. I am giving you the same choice you received last time. You can die, leave your potential happiness in a distant thought, and leave the Wizarding World on its path to destruction." _

‘With everything they’ve done for me, it sounds tempting’ thought Harry to himself.

_“Ah, but you haven’t heard your other option yet. I will send you back in time to just before the beginning of your first year. You go back with all the knowledge you have now, and you live the life that was destined for you.”_

Harry couldn’t process it. “You can send me back and I could be happy? So, all I would have to do is do what you tell me to do and- “

_“I’m not going to tell you what to do. Your destiny involves you making your own choices. Without meddling mortals, your fate is inevitable.”_ interrupted the voice. To Harry it almost sounded too good to be true. He had only one last question.

“Um, Mysterious Voice? How will I be able to avoid being manipulated? There’s no telling what else they’ll try when I don’t fall for their manipulations from last time.”

_“Don’t worry Harry. If you choose this option, I will show you some useful moments from some of the meddling of this life before you arrive in your first-year body. That ought to clear up a lot of your questions. It will also guide you through a few decisions that you will have to make. Now is the time to make your choice Harry Potter, do you choose death or a second chance?”_

Harry was silent. He pondered the thought. A second chance with his soulmate. Not only was it a chance for him to be happy, but it was also a chance for Tom to be happy. How could he turn this down?

“I choose to go back. I choose to be happy.” Harry thought with confidence.

“_Very well then.”_ The voice sounded pleased. _“Your soulmate’s horcrux will not be anchored to your scar. Instead you will carry it with you with a different vessel. All you have to do now is breathe Harry. I will be seeing you Harry Potter, Friend of Fate.”_

Harry breathed in deeper than before. His panic rose when water entered his lungs this time. Fear closed over his mind until his thoughts became fuzzy and distant, and once again he blacked out.

***

When Harry came to, there was no water and he could open his eyes. He definitely wasn’t back in his eleven-year-old body yet. Instead he was standing as an adult in the Dursley’s kitchen. It was night time, and the calendar read 2 August 1981. More than two months before his parents were killed on Halloween night, or as the Wizarding World called it, Samhain. His aunt Petunia paced the kitchen as if she was waiting for someone. The clock clearly showed it to be around one in the morning. She couldn’t see Harry, so he assumed it was a memory of some kind. Before he could think too much about why on earth his aunt was muttering to herself in the kitchen at one in the morning, there was a quiet knock on the door.

His aunt rushed to the door, opened it, and hurriedly let the visitor in. Almost as if she didn’t want anyone to see them. When the visitor came into Harry’s view, he clenched his jaw in anger. Because there in the Dursley’s overly clean kitchen, stood Albus Dumbledore.

“I assume that you read my letter and that you understand what I’m asking from you?” asked Dumbledore, getting straight to the point. They walked to sit opposite each other at the kitchen table. Petunia nodded stiffly.

“And he absolutely has to come here?” she asked.

“In order for the potions and blocks to settle, he needs to remain with a blood relative. Besides that, there are no other requirements from you. As long as you give him the repression dose daily and the compulsion strenghtener every two days, you will be free to treat him as you wish. If he comes to Hogwarts as neglected as possible, it will be easier to compel him to latch onto the people around him.” replied the Leader of The Light. He sounded like he was having a pleasant conversation about the weather, and not plotting the deliberate abuse of a child. Harry was beyond confused. His parents hadn’t died yet, so why the hell was Dumbledore discussing him with his aunt?

“Then of course there is the matter of payment.” Harry froze. Payment? Dumbledore paid the Dursleys?

“Of course.” Answered Dumbledore. “Every month in your account. The amount is sizeable, and is guaranteed. His family is wealthy enough to support your son’s schooling and anything else you would possibly want to live comfortably.”

Harry was absolutely livid. All that time Dumbledore had been paying the Dursleys with a fortune that was rightfully his? Harry decided that he would make his way to Gringotts as soon as possible. Those disgusting muggles will repay every last Knut back to him.

“And my… sister and her husband. Are their deaths guaranteed? Are you one hundred percent sure that they will die by the hand of this Dark Lord.” Petunia looked to be on edge. She wrung her hands as she asked her question.

“Absolutely Mrs Dursley. The is no doubt.” Dumbledore responded with a dark look in his eyes. At his words Petunia visibly relaxed.

“His… weirdness. How prominent will it be when he grows up?” she asked with a disgusted look on her face. “I don’t want him scaring my Dudley.”

“His magic has a sixty percent block on it so there is little to chance of him using magic without a wand. His inheritance and all that comes with it will be unnoticeable as long as you continue the repression potion. The recommended dose in once daily, but try to give it to him as much as possible. His specific inheritance is very strong, and it might take more to keep it back. I will keep in touch Mrs Dursley.”

With that, the scene faded away and Harry closed his eyes. Harry was disgusted. The Dursleys were worse than he thought, accepting money in exchange for abusing a child. It was then that Harry decided that the Dursleys were going to suffer at his hands for what they put him through.

Harry opened his eyes. Now he was standing in Dumbledore’s office. The headmaster sat behind his desk. Across from him sat Molly and Ginny Weasley, who appeared to be in her first year. “Just sign here Mrs Weasley and the contract is finalised.” said Dumbledore, passing a long piece of parchment over the table to the redheads. As Molly busied herself signing the bottom of the contract, Ginny was daydreaming next to her.

“I can’t believe it Mum; I’m going to marry the Boy-Who-Lived!” she squealed excitedly. Her mum smiled broadly. Harry glared a hole in the back of her head. She looked utterly enthralled by the idea. This must have happened after the chamber of secrets, he realised. That was around the time where her hero worship reached creepy levels. Stupid girl. He would marry no one but his mate.

“As long as the compulsions and love potions work sweetie. It’s unfortunate that we can’t arrange a marriage contract Albus.” She frowned.

“Magical Law says that even as his legal guardian, I can’t arrange one without his consent. As soon as we find a working love potion, you can fall into your hero’s arms Miss Weasley.” Dumbledore smiled kindly at the young girl.

“Have you really tried all the standard ones Albus?” enquired Molly. Dumbledore removed his spectacles and rubbed his eyes in frustration. “Due to his unique inheritance, Harry is automatically immune to known love magic. His kind can only ever love their mates romantically, so I have been considering a mix of admiration, jealousy and nervousness keyed to young Miss Weasley. With a bit of influence from Ron and Hermione he can be convinced that he harbours a crush on her.”

“Excellent Albus. I will be expecting an increase in payment after having Harry in my house for the holidays. Of course, his vault will one day be shared with the future Mrs Potter.”

The scene faded to black. Harry was, at this point, not surprised. All of his friends had been paid with his own money to influence and manipulate him. Every person in his life was there for their own gain. But why had Dumbledore done this? Was he really that desperate to have power in wizarding society? At this point, he had a plan. He knew exactly what he was going to do. His eyes drifted shut, and he knew that the next time he opened them, he would be in his eleven-year-old body.

‘Look out world.’ he thought. ‘I’m coming back. And this time, I’m pissed off.’


	3. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys you don't understand, I write a bio test next week and exams start a week after this. I SHOULD BE STUDYING. But here I am writing a Harry and Voldemort slash fic. You better be grateful. Thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments. Enjoy!

When Harry came to, he was eleven again and struggling to breathe. In the darkness of what was clearly his cupboard, he rolled out of bed and clutched his throat. He felt as if something was trying to force its way out of his lungs. Harry began choking, and there on the floor of the dark cupboard under the stairs, he began coughing up water. Harry watched horrified as he spat up what felt like litres of it. When his lungs were empty of fluid, he collapsed on the floor breathing heavily. It took a while, but eventually his breathing returned to normal and he could focus on his surroundings. It was only when he sat up that he noticed something different.

The empty feeling of missing something was gone. At the back of his head, he felt what could only be described as a connection. In his heart he knew that it was his bond to his soulmate. It was weak, considering the state Voldemort was in now, but it was there. ‘The voice must have removed those blocks and repressors on my magic and inheritance,’ he realised. That was one thing that he didn’t have to worry about. Through the bond, he felt a steady thrum of confusion with a touch of relief. Voldemort could feel him. Harry guessed that he had also gone his whole life missing something, and that he didn’t understand what was happening. The relief told him that even though Voldemort himself wasn’t aware of it, his soul was glad to finally feel its other half.

Harry wiped away tears. Now was not the time for tears. Now was the time for action. He stood up and blindly reached for the bit of string dangling from the bare lightbulb above his head. Familiar yellow light filled his vision. Harry reached for the broken bedside table crammed against the wall to find his glasses, noting to himself to find some way of perfecting his vision. He had magic, didn’t he? What would the use be if he didn’t use it to make life easier? When he could finally see, he was overwhelmed with a sense of dejavu. Harry felt dumb. Of course he felt like he’s done this before.

‘Idiot,’ he told himself. Almost scared to look, he peeked down at the floor where he had choked up all that fluid. It looked like a normal, large puddle of water if you ignored the fact that is was tinted black. What looked like swirls of ink appeared and reappeared as he stared at it. Harry felt sick. Had he really coughed up that gross stuff? He decided not to think about it. Upstairs he could hear Dudley running around and shouting something about…presents?

Harry groaned. Goddamn it. Dudley’s birthday. The trip to the zoo. This was going to suck so much. Before Dudley could come running down the stairs and shove him around, Harry decided to go out and face the music. As he moved, he noticed something hanging around his neck. He stiffened. The horcrux! Quickly he grabbed at what was apparently a gold chain. Pulling it out from his oversized shirt, heart beating fast, he examined the soul fragment’s new vessel. It was some kind of misty grey jewel in the shaped of a tear drop. It was about the size of his thumb nail, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Unlike in his last life, he could feel no negative effects from the horcrux. All he could feel was a steady flow of gentle affection.

‘It recognises me!’ thought Harry. He and Voldemort were soul mates, and he was holding a piece of his soul. The thought brought a strong feeling of protectiveness for the pretty horcrux. He held the jewel against his heart and vowed to himself that he would protect it with his life. On the way to the kitchen, Harry decided that he would go to the zoo with the Dursleys. It would be easier to threaten them later. Plus, Harry needed some way to get food that wasn’t laced with some kind of potion.

Pushing open the door, he wordlessly took over the cooking from his aunt. ‘So much bacon,’ he thought to himself, his mouth watering. But he knew better than to try and take food. The door burst open, and his fat cousin finally showed his ugly face. His beady eyes scanned the table. They narrowed when they didn’t find what they were looking for.

“Mum!” he whined. “Where’s the bacon? You told me you’d make me lots of bacon that I can eat by myself!”

“It’s alright Duddikins, look. The freak’s making the bacon. Don’t worry snookims, Mummy made sure we have lots and lots of bacon for my baby’s special day!” Petunia cooed.

Harry gagged. Merlin this was worse than last time! He tuned out his self-obsessed cousin and continued to cook the mountain of bacon. Distantly he could hear Dudley going on about his presents and Petunia reassuring him that they will get him more presents later. Brat. He lay down the tower of bacon in front of the pig, (who didn’t say thank you) and sat down on the opposite side of the table, where Petunia had set some old bread and cheese on a paper plate.

Harry almost jumped in shock. His food had an…aura of some kind. A dull grey mixed with a toxic looking orange. Somehow, he could see the potions in his food! Harry guessed that it was because of his inheritance.

‘Now this,’ he thought to himself, ‘is _very_ useful.’

At least now he knew what the voice was talking about when it said that the memories would help him. His inheritance had been repressed, and now that it wasn’t, he could utilise all the perks. He knew vaguely that wizards came into their full inheritance around twelve to fifteen, but depending on the type, a few wizards could make use of some of the powers or display some of the behaviours earlier on. After this godforsaken zoo visit, he needed to get to Gringotts as soon as possible. It would appear that his inheritance, whatever it is, is more powerful than he thought.

It was around this train of thought, when the Dursley’s conversation cut through his daydreaming.

“Why can’t we just leave him here? I don’t want him to come with us. He’s going to ruin the whole trip!” It would seem as if Vernon and Petunia had broken the news to their poor son.

“Now Dudley, you know we can’t leave him here,” Vernon said looking up from his newspaper. “otherwise he might get into the food, or break the telly.” Harry wondered if they knew he could hear them. Probably, the just didn’t care. After a bit more whining, some tears, and two separate tantrums, Aunt Petunia agreed to buy Dudley _six_ more presents on the way home. All of which he could choose.

On the way out of the house, Dudley and Piers, who had arrived a few minutes ago, shoved past Harry. Before he could follow them to the car, he was pulled aside by his uncle.

“You listen to me boy. I’ll have none of your weirdness today. If you so much as breathe wrong, it’s the cupboard for you with no food till I feel like you pass out. Do you understand me Freak?” Harry nodded, apathetic of the outside, but seething on the inside. Filthy muggle scum. Who did he think he was talking to?

The ride to the zoo was less tense than the last time, as Harry wisely avoided speaking about flying motorcycles. Piers and Dudley were shouting loudly about the food they were going to get and the animals they were going to see. Harry had hold himself back from rolling his eyes. He chose instead to immerse himself in daydreams about his soulmate. When should confront him? The first step was of course to get him off the back of Quirrell’s head. The Philosopher’s would definitely work, but then he would become reliant on it. That was a weakness that Harry knew he couldn’t afford. He would have to do research. His to do list was growing. This was going to be interesting.

He was drawn from his thoughts at their arrival at the zoo. The got their tickets, and made their way into the entrance plaza outside the ticket booth.

“Mum, Dad, lets go to the snakes! I wanna see the reptiles first.” yelled Dudley in an obnoxious voice. Piers readily agreed, and the group, with Harry trailing just behind them, entered the Reptile House. Unlike last time, Harry didn’t wander around aimlessly. He followed Dudley to where the enormous Boa Constrictor was lounging behind a thick sheet of glass. He watched the large child and his friend hammer at the glass, trying to get the magnificent snake to move. Growing bored when it ignored him, they moved on to the next exhibit.

Harry stepped forward. He felt upset that he couldn’t talk to the snake this time round. The horcrux wasn’t in his mind anymore, so he was no longer a Parselmouth. To his complete surprise, the snake looked up to acknowledge him. They stared at each other for a while. The snake nodded its head in respect.

_: Greetings, speaker :_ Harry’s eyes widened. He could understand the snake! He was still a Parselmouth? Interesting…

_: Hello. My name is Harry. It’s good to meet you. I haven’t spoken with a snake for quite a while. :_ Harry hissed back, excited that he had not lost his ability. _: And what can I call you? :_

_: I am Calypso, Harry Potter. It is good to meet you as well. :_ the snake bowed his head again. This time Harry did it back. It felt like the polite thing to do. Before Harry could question how the snake knew his full name, he was violently shoved out the way by his oaf of a cousin.

“Mum, Dad! You won’t believe what this snake is doing!” Ignoring the very obvious ‘DON”T TOUCH THE GLASS’ sign, Dudley climbed on the railing and smacked his fat hands against the glass.

_ : Calypso. :_ hissed Harry as he stood up._ :Would you like to come with me? You were raised in captivity right? I start Hogwarts in about a month. Would you do me the honour of accompanying me as my familiar? :_

Dudley was staring at him with a look of horror on his face. “Mumm-!!” he started to yell, fear taking over his face.Ignoring him, Harry awaited Calypso’s response.

_: I would be honoured Harry Potter. We are going to cause a lot of confusion at Hogwarts. This is going to be great fun. Now, I think It’s time that you let me out of this cage. :_ Calypso sounded amused. He was clearly going to enjoy causing so chaos among the light.

By this time, Petunia and Vernon had made their way over to answer their son's cry of distress. “Boy! What did I tell you about-“

_: I will not fight with the Light side in the upcoming war. If you go with me, you follow me to the dark. :_ Harry warned his new familiar. Vernon jumped back in fright at the noises that came from his nephew.

_: I didn’t for a second think you would do otherwise Harry. :_ replied Calypso. Harry grinned.

Last time, he had vanished the glass by accident. This time, he purposefully concentrated on making the glass disappear. Just like last time though, the glass disappeared without a sound, Dudley fell into the enclosure, and Calypso slithered out. Screams of panic filled the Reptile House as the enormous snake left its enclosure. He came to a rest next you Harry’s feet.

Using his magic to make Calypso lighter, he lifted the beautiful snake onto my shoulders.

_ : I might have to shrink you at Hogwarts. :_ he told his new familiar, who only hissed in response. Making eye contact with his ‘family’, Harry let an evil smile take over his face.

“See you at home, you useless muggles. I’ll be waiting for you.”

And with that Harry apparated out of the chaos and back to Privet Drive, where he would wait for the Dursley’s to return. So far, everything had been going according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am fully aware that Calypso is a girl's name, but I think it fits right? Idk I was just totally fixed on the snake being male. I feel like in every other fic the snake is female sooo.  
My search history looked ridiculous when I was trying to come up with a name by the way. Google snake names if you want a good laugh. Bye!


	4. The Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! It's been a few days hasn't it? I wrote my test, but exams start this week, so if I'm a good student (doubtable), this might be the last update for awhile. I have been thinking about the plot, and I have some pretty awesome plans for this. I hope you are as excited as I am! Enjoy!

Harry was lounging on one of the Dursley’s couches in their living room. Soft classical music echoed through the house from Petunia’s radio, which until now, he wasn’t allowed to tough. On his lap, lay his new boa constrictor. It had been around two hours since the incident at the Reptile House, and Harry had used the time to catch Calypso up on his past life and his plans for this one.

_: This is better than I thought!_ : crowed the excited snake. _: I’m going to have to stop myself from laughing when we get to Hogwarts. :_

_: I think you’re enjoying this too much. :_ remarked Harry dryly.

_: Harry Potter, I am old and I have seen much. But this takes the cake. You and your time traveling are going to flip the wizarding world on its head. :_ answered Calypso. Harry smiled at his new friend. He sounded like an old man. When he told him so, he received a whack upside the head from the tip of Calypso’s tail. Chuckling, Harry checked the time on the clock over the fireplace. He frowned. At this point he wasn’t going to be able to go to Diagon Alley if they didn’t hurry up.

Absentmindedly, he stroked down Calypso’s scales. Before he could decide what do to next, there was the sound of keys jingling in a lock. Harry shivered in anticipation. His act started now, and he was going to have to keep it up for the foreseeable future. The Dursley’s entered, Vernon leading his family in. All of them were wearily looking around their home for Harry. When they saw him, they paled, and when they saw Calypso, they paled even more.

Harry had purposefully chosen the couch directly opposite the entrance to the living room, and Calypso wasn’t on his lap for comfort. Well, partially for comfort. But mostly to freak out his ‘family’. Vernon slowly, without turning around, sat on the furthest armchair from Harry, and Petunia and Dudley chose the loveseat next to him.

Here’s the deal. Harry had spent the whole day thinking about how to deal with this. As much as he wanted to tell them that he knew everything, he couldn’t yet. He needed to be here when his Hogwarts letter arrived, and there was almost no doubt that his aunt would inform Dumbledore of his sudden shift in personality. If he ‘got rid of them’, then suspicions would be raised and then too much attention would be on him. The headmaster being aware of his plan so early on whole ruin everything. No revenge was going to happen until Tom was safely restored. So, for now, he plays dumb.

“I have magic. That’s what I can do isn’t it. It’s called magic.” Harry stated in an innocent tone, tinged with a tiny amount of accusation. His ‘family’ flinched at the m-word. “How…” Vernon coughed, clearly caught off guard and uncomfortable at the situation.

“How did you know?” Nodding towards Calypso, he responded. “He told me. He said that I’m famous in their world. Apparently, I’m going to start magic school this year. Why haven’t you told me? He says that you’re muggles, and that muggles like you don’t like magic.” Harry put an upset look on his face. ‘Poor little Harry,’ he thought sarcastically to himself.

Calypso was laughing hysterically at Harry’s flawless performance. This boy was good, very good. Harry was painting the perfect picture of a clueless child.

“Your headmaster will send you a letter, and then he will send someone to fetch you. He asked us to take you into our care until you were the right age for your own safety.” Answered Petunia stiffly. Ignoring his earlier statement about how muggles hate magic, she continued to spin a very flimsy story about Harry being in danger, and for his own good being separated from his kind and protected by blood wards. Even if he didn’t know that she was lying, he wouldn’t be convinced by her flimsy cover story. Nonetheless, he pretended to listen earnestly.

“Okay, so when I go to this school, I will have to come back here in order to be protected by the...blood wards?” There were no blood wards over this house. He didn’t even need to check, the look on the Dursley’s faces gave it away. The only wards on this house were the ones trying to suppress his magic and inheritance.

“The headmaster. You said it was his idea to protect me?” Harry’s voice was tinged with hero worship. The Dursleys didn’t even try to hide the pleased looks on their faces. Their instructions had been carried out; Harry had already latched onto the wizard.

“The wizarding world was threatened by an evil man, corrupted by dark magic, and he nearly killed you. It was the Headmaster’s plan that saved you, and-.”

Harry growled threateningly at them, his anger growing fast. How dare these pathetic muggles try and turn him against his mate! The Dursleys started, and Dudley retreated further into his mother’s side.

Harry caught a glimpse of himself in the decorative mirror above the fireplace. His eyes glowed a more vibrant green than usual, and his lips were turned up in a snarl, revealing his slightly pointy canines. He looked considerably not human.

‘Shit shit shit shit shit.’ Harry panicked internally. He had blown his cover before he had even fully established it.

_ : Calypso! What should I do? I don’t have my wand and I don’t know if my inheritance magic is strong enough for something as advanced as a memory wipe spell yet! Wait a minute! :_ Harry turned back to the Dursleys.

‘God I hope this works.’ He thought.

_: OBLIVIATE :_ he hissed loudly, forcing his magic behind the word. It was instantaneous, but to Harry it played out in slow motion.

He and Calypso watched in fascination as a net of silver magic cast from Harry and covered the Dursleys, leaving both of them unaffected. Harry stared in awe as his magic gracefully obeyed his command. Now this, this was definitely new. The Dursleys’ eyes glazed over, and then quickly returned to normal.

“-he is the reason that you are alive right now.” His aunt kept talking as if the last minute and a half hadn’t happened. Harry was struggling to keep his shock to himself. His heart was beating quickly in his chest. That was almost too close. Calming his nerves, he nodded along with the muggles’ spiel.

“If he’s coming here, can I move into Dudley’s second bedroom until then? I don’t know if he would like me living in my cupboard. Besides, I don’t think my new friend will be happy in there.” Harry decided that it was worth a shot to at least try his luck. Obviously pretending as if he didn't know that Albus Dumbledore himself hadn’t told the Dursleys to neglect him as much as possible.

Luckily, before Vernon could deny his request, Calypso reared up suddenly and hissed sharply at him. Harry, milking the situation, maintained eye contact with his uncle, and brought his hand up to gently caress the back of Calypso’s head.

_: Thank you, friend. I don’t think that they would let me get away with so much without you here to scare them into their place. :_ he hissed softly.

“Yes, of course. You can move in right now. “ responded Vernon quickly, considerably paler than earlier.

That was all Harry needed. Gracefully, Calypso slid off his lap and waited for Harry to stand up. Harry picked up Calypso and slung him over his neck, effortlessly due to the lightening charm, and made his way to stairs. Before he left, he turned around to cast another spell.

_: Confundus. :_ he hissed. Once again, his ‘family’ got caught in a web of magic, this time a dull orange colour. “You will keep today’s events to yourself. There is no need to write to Albus Dumbledore.”

And with that, without waiting for his relatives to recover, he spun on his heel and began making his way to his new room.

***

Up in what was until about half an hour ago Dudley’s second bedroom, Harry lay on his new bed plotting for the future. Due to the little mishap earlier and his new ability, Harry concluded that he could see magic. That would also explain how he could see the potions in his breakfast. Harry wondered if he could see what kind of magic was influencing a person and their actions. He hoped so. That would make his life so much easier.

Harry checked the clock on the wall opposite him. It was getting late, and all the useful Diagon Alley shops would definitely be closed until morning.

Whatever. Today was productive, and Harry had learnt a bit more about his new magic. He wasn’t entirely sure if his inheritance had caused the strength of his magic to go up, or if it was Parseltongue changing the spells’ strength. He would have to figure that out. First thing tomorrow, Harry would be off to Diagon Alley. In just over two weeks, his first letter would arrive, and then he could spend the rest of his holidays at the alley.

Laying in bed later that night, Harry clenched his fist around his soulmate’s horcrux. ‘Soon, my love. I know how to fix this now. I can’t wait to meet you properly, Tom.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people of the internet! I'm finally back, and let me tell you, I'm glad that I am. These past few months have been filled to the brim with school bullshit, and dinner parties. My Christmas was great, and I hope all of you enjoyed your holiday (If you celebrate of course) A bunch of stuff has been keeping me from writing. To name a few:  
-Exams, which sucked serious ass. but I did well! so thank GOODNESS  
-My economics teacher reusing the previous years paper and then trying to accuse my entire grade of cheating when they found out that some people used old papers to study from (which is totally allowed and encouraged.) Long story short they tried to make us rewrite during the holidays, and the education department had to get involved. we didn't have to rewrite tho, so thank everything  
-Me, along with a couple friends helped by teacher with the textbook distribution and planning for the new year, which took a week.  
-Me being a complete introvert cannot deal with too much people time, so ive been a bit drained.  
-I have to study for my learners test, so that's fun  
-I changed banks, 10/10 would not recommend.
> 
> sorry for the rant ya'll, I promise that i'll try be move frequent with updates. Enjoy the chapter and thank you for everyone who commented and left kudos!

Harry woke up from the best sleep he’s had in years. An enormous snake cuddled next to him, and a piece of his other half’s soul clutched in his hand. Harry cringed as he unclenched his fist. His muscles screamed at him. Ouch.

Before his mind could fully register the pain, a soothing pulse of relief travelled through his hand. The pain numbed quickly to a dull ache, and then it disappeared altogether. Harry’s eyes widened in surprise. He sat up and looked down to where the horcrux lay in his opened fist. The stone seemed to be glowing more than normal. It had felt his pain, and soothed it. Harry blushed. The horcrux wasn’t even sentient and it still looked out for him. He thought for a second. This might be a problem if it senses his anger or frustration towards someone from his past. He would have to be careful about channelling too many emotions through the bond.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Harry pulled himself out of bed. Gently shaking Calypso awake, he started preparing for his trip. Pausing in his preparations, Harry frowned at his clothes in the mirror. Oversized, ugly, and not befitting of someone of his soon-to-be position. He sighed. It couldn’t be helped now, he definitely did not know the necessary transfiguration. And besides, he would only wear them to the Alley. When he was there, he could easily get a hold of better clothes.

_: So Harry, off to the wizard alley now? Do you know which shop we’re going first? :_ hissed Calypso from his cosy spot on the bed.

_: Well, first we need to go to Gringotts and deal with the issue of my money being taken away from me. And I’m going to see if I can find out about my inheritance. :_ replied Harry, making his way to the bed. He picked up his familiar and hung him around his neck. He turned back to the mirror. Both of them laughed. It was an odd image. A small boy with a massive boa constrictor around his neck.

_: We’re going to turn some heads today. :_ remarked Calypso wryly. Harry smiled mischievously at his reflection. Thinking for a second, he brushed his shaggy hair away from his famous lightning scar. This was going to be entertaining. The two walked out of the front door, neglecting to inform the Dursleys’ of where they were going. Strolling down the path leading off the property, Harry was almost shaking in excitement. Before he could strike up a conversation with Calypso, a shock of magic passed over him. Harry turned around in confusion, feeling his face muscles go slack at the sight in front of him.

Number four Privet Drive was covered by a dome of pulsing mud-brown magic. The wards that Dumbledore had set up. They were disgusting to look at, and Harry felt dirty from just knowing that he had spent his whole life living under it.

_: Gross. :_ hissed Calypso. Harry turned to him in confusion._ : Can you see the wards? :_

_: Obviously. I’m your familiar, aren’t I? It’s not just a title. A small amount of your magic transferred to me. And some of my magic transferred to you. I mean, it’s not as obvious as your transfer, but it’s a two way bond. :_

‘Fascinating,’ Thought Harry. _: Wait a second, I left the house yesterday, and it the wards were definitely not visible. Why can I see them now? :_ he asked confused. _: I think I would remember this. :_

_: I think your magic is growing stronger. :_ replied Calypso, appearing deep in thought. He suddenly reared up to look Harry in the eye._ : While this is good news, as it means your inheritance is coming in earlier than I expected, it also means that you need to be cautious. The stronger you grow, the more difficult it will to hide it from the meddlers.:_

Harry nodded seriously. He couldn’t risk exposing that he had full access to his magic. Not yet anyway.

_: It seems that you have access to the outer most layers of your magic. This means that you either have a fully developed core, which I doubt, or your core is fluctuating at an alarming rate.:_ hissed Calypso. _: I can explain everything I know about this later, but now I think its time for us to make our way to the wizarding alley. :_ Harry nodded again, still deep in thought. It looked like coming into his full power would be a bit more dangerous than he first anticipated.

_: So how are we going to do this? :_ Harry asked.

_: I think you have enough magic for the apparition spell, just try and aim for somewhere discrete. :_ instructed Calypso as if he were stating the obvious. Harry stared at him as if he was crazy.

_: Isn’t that dangerous?! I mean, what if I miss my mark, of if I leave half of myself here! :_ he exclaimed. Calypso gave him the snake equivalent of a raised eyebrow.

“Goddamn snake and his goddamn sass, going to get me killed.” he muttered under his breath while ducking behind a house down the road from the Dursleys. This earned him a smack upside the head from said snake’s tail. Sliding down against the wall he started his pep talk.

“Okay then. I just have to apparate without a wand and without accidently dying or exposing myself. Okay.” Harry took a deep breath. He turned his head to Calypso._ : If I die, it’s your fault. :_ he hissed.

Three, two, one

_: Apparate :_

The word echoed through his mind. Harry watched as a net of magic flung out from where he was sitting, and rebounded back to him. He felt it cover him and Calypso, pulsating and jerky. Before he could second guess himself, the two of them disappeared in a burst of white light.

* * *

It was unlike anything Harry had ever experienced. Obviously, he had apparated before in his previous life, but it had never felt like this. Apparation cast in the normal way, was at best uncomfortable. This way _so_ much worse. It felt like trying to channel the entire ocean through a funnel, like forcing a hurricane through a window. It was violent, powerful, unstable, and not at all a pleasant experience. Harry didn’t even look to see where he had landed before turning around and emptying his stomach.

Wiping his mouth, he cautiously examined his surroundings. Simultaneously reaching his hand to feel for Calypso and then for the horcrux, finding both where they were, he turned his attention to where exactly they had landed. The duo were thankfully not in the centre of Diagon Alley, but by the large concentration of magic that Harry could feel somewhere to his left, they were close.

They appeared to have landed in a narrow back street in muggle London. Close enough.

_: See, I told you that you could do it. :_ announced Calypso in a smug tone, appearing completely unaffected by the apparation._ : Never again. :_ replied Harry. _: That was awful. From now on, if I need to apparate, I’ll do it the normal way. With a wand! :_

He grabbed the exposed brick wall behind him and hauled himself up to a standing position, choosing to ignore the vomit off to the side. Feeling weak, and sort of sea sick, Harry brushed dirt from his clothes, and started walking in the direction of the large source of magic.

It wasn’t long before the pair stood in front of The Leaky Cauldron. Muggles streamed past them, completely unaware of the boy and his snake, presumably due to the notice-me-not wards over the dingy pub. The wards themselves, were overall quite impressive. Although centred around the pub, they covered the entire alley in a pulsating web of midnight blue magic. Harry stared in amazement, trying to imagine how impressive Hogwarts’ wards must be.

Lying awake last night, Harry had decided on how he was going to play his part. Naïve and kind, but studious and quiet. All things considered, he hadn’t been the best student the first time around, and that certainly hadn’t worked in his favour. Anyone who knew his parents told him how intelligent they had been, so hopefully he had received some of their smarts. Brushing up on knowledge now while he had no real responsibilities would certainly not hurt.

As far as anyone here was concerned, Harry Potter was by no means a Parselmouth, and was completely devoted to Dumbledore. Pulling down his shoulders, and brushing his hair over his scar, Harry adopted a scared expression, and finally entered The Leaky Cauldron. The wards felt just as impressive as they looked. It took some concentration for Harry to not shiver at the feeling. The place was just as he remembered. Not empty, but not overly crowded either. Tom the bartender was polishing a filthy glass with a filthy rag behind the counter.

Making his way forward, throwing in some amazed glances around the pub for effect, mentally patting himself on the back at his acting skills.

“E-excuse me, sir? C-can you help me get into Diagon Alley?” Harry stuttered, looking up at the bartender. Tom nodded shortly, and began leading Harry to the brick wall out behind the pub. The man drew his wand and tapped the appropriate bricks.

Standing back, Harry watched with awe as the wall folded back to reveal an arced entrance into the magical alley.

“Hey kid.” Harry turned at the gruff voice. “You know your way around the alley?” asked the bartender, eyeing Calypso.

Harry smiled shyly. “Yes, I do. Thank you for helping me!” he replied, perhaps laying it on a bit thick, before turning around and entering Diagon Alley without looking back. While walking, Harry turned to Calypso with a smile.

So much to prepare for, so little time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Comment down below your favourite part so far, or what you're looking forward to. If you want comment your fave fic on the archive, im always looking for new stuff to read!  
Bye! And happy new year!


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